North Carolina General Statutes 75-62. Social security number protection
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a business may not do any of the following:
(1) Intentionally communicate or otherwise make available to the general public an individual’s social security number.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 75-62
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. Source: OCC
- Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. Source: OCC
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(2) Intentionally print or imbed an individual’s social security number on any card required for the individual to access products or services provided by the person or entity.
(3) Require an individual to transmit his or her social security number over the Internet, unless the connection is secure or the social security number is encrypted.
(4) Require an individual to use his or her social security number to access an Internet Web site, unless a password or unique personal identification number or other authentication device is also required to access the Internet Web site.
(5) Print an individual’s social security number on any materials that are mailed to the individual, unless state or federal law requires the social security number to be on the document to be mailed.
(6) Sell, lease, loan, trade, rent, or otherwise intentionally disclose an individual’s social security number to a third party without written consent to the disclosure from the individual, when the party making the disclosure knows or in the exercise of reasonable diligence would have reason to believe that the third party lacks a legitimate purpose for obtaining the individual’s social security number.
(b) Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply in the following instances:
(1) When a social security number is included in an application or in documents related to an enrollment process, or to establish, amend, or terminate an account, contract, or policy; or to confirm the accuracy of the social security number for the purpose of obtaining a credit report pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1681(b)(2). A social security number that is permitted to be mailed under this section may not be printed, in whole or in part, on a postcard or other mailer not requiring an envelope, or visible on the envelope or without the envelope having been opened.
(2) To the collection, use, or release of a social security number for internal verification or administrative purposes.
(3) To the opening of an account or the provision of or payment for a product or service authorized by an individual.
(4) To the collection, use, or release of a social security number to investigate or prevent fraud, conduct background checks, conduct social or scientific research, collect a debt, obtain a credit report from or furnish data to a consumer reporting agency pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., undertake a permissible purpose enumerated under Gramm Leach Bliley, 12 C.F.R. § 216.13-15, or locate an individual who is missing, a lost relative, or due a benefit, such as a pension, insurance, or unclaimed property benefit.
(5) To a business acting pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena, or when otherwise required by law.
(6) To a business providing the social security number to a federal, state, or local government entity, including a law enforcement agency, court, or their agents or assigns.
(7) To a social security number that has been redacted.
(c) A business covered by this section shall make reasonable efforts to cooperate, through systems testing and other means, to ensure that the requirements of this Article are implemented.
(d) A violation of this section is a violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-1.1 (2005-414, s. 1.)